Existing comment:
Excitement in the Air:
By the 1940s, flying had become a national pastime and College Park Airport was at the center of all the excitement. Air shows and air derbies hosted by the Washington Air Derby Association, DC Air Legion, and Washington Women Pilots Association brought some of the most popular aviators in the nation to the airport.
The Langley Day Air Meet, which regularly brought over 300,000 spectators to the airfield, provided entertainment and sport for a nation hungry for such diversions. Crowds thrilled to the sight of wing walking and stunt flying demonstrations, mock bombing competitions and other aerobatic feats.
George Brickerhoff was an excellent pilot and a much sought after instructor. Hundreds of pilots in the Washington area owe their piloting skills to his expert instruction. When he finally left the airport in the late 1950s, it was well known that he taught more pilots to fly in the DC area than anyone else. |